Ill-equipped guardians of law lose battle to criminals

A toll attendant was shot dead for Rs 27. A female employee of a pub was raped by a taxi driver. Extortionists open fired at a trader's house in broad daylight to threaten him. With increasing number of such crimes, Gurgaon, the city of skyscrapers and corporate houses, is emerging as a criminals’ haven.

The fastest growing commercial hub in the national capital region (NCR), which has earned the tag of Millennium City, witnessed 82 murders till November this year, up from 58 such cases registered a year ago.

According to police, shortage of manpower and equipment are the main reasons behind poor law and order situation. While, in Delhi, the ratio of policemen to residents is 1:201, in Gurgaon, it is one policeman for 571 residents.

A survey conducted by Hindustan Times has revealed that rising criminal incidents is one of the main concerns of the city residents. People who participated in the survey have rated crime and corruption as their major concerns after basic amenities such as water, electricity, roads, and public transport.

As many as 68% people complained about poor law and order situation. Only 3% residents said that the current situation is better than earlier and only 22% feel the city is safe at night.

According to residents, criminals have a free run. The cases of chain snatching are on the rise. The survey also found that 91% people feel that incidents of carjacking and burglary have increased. While only 10% feel that the city is safe for senior citizens, 93% people believe that it is unsafe for women. During the last four months, 60 incidents of chain snatching have been registered.

Most of the time people do not approach police for a help as they feel that the policemen may deal with such cases casually.

On the other hand, the city police say that they are on their toes to make the city safe.

"We are making all efforts to control the crime and maintain law and order situation. However, no doubt there is immense scope for improvement and we are working on that," said Maheshwar Dayal, deputy commissioner of police, Gurgaon.

The study comes amid rising criminal cases in the last couple of months. In September, a toll collection staff was shot dead by a local youth who wanted to evade toll fee on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway.

After the incident, where CCTV cameras failed to capture clear images of the shooter as well as his SUV, the Delhi-Gurgaon expressway firm DSC installed high-tech CCTV cameras on two of its toll plazas.

The cameras have night vision features and can also neutralise the impact of headlight glare.

The authorities have also claimed that the newly-acquired cameras will also be able to zoom in at the number plates of the vehicles.

Two days ago, the alleged rape of a female bartender by a taxi driver also came as another shocker for the residents. The alleged rape took place in a Mehrauli farmhouse.